ohmitr

For me it started when my wife bought a '89 Celica. It wasn't real fast but it was a great handling car and I knew my next one had to be a sports sedan. I did all the research and the decision was made when I found out it had IRS for the money. I owned it 11 years and it really gained my respect by how well it stood up in the area of body integrity. My son bought a '92 Sentra and drove the crap out of it for 10 years and again it stood up to everything he dished out. I looked at every option besides a Maxima when it came time to buy a new one because I found out they no longer had IRS but they were still a world class sports sedan for thousands less than the competition. This time the HLSD put the decision over the top. I now consider myself among the very shrewdest of car buyers. Let the rest of the world know!!!

Tell us your story!

djmaxski

I graduated from college, got a job and a nice signing incentive, waited 6 months to get a feel for expenses, and then bought my Maxima to replace the college car. I was looking for something bigger (and more powerful ) than my Escort, so I researched some sedans. A 5 speed was a must, so that pretty much narrowed it down to the Maxima, BMW, Audi. Since I didn't want to live in the car, I choose the Maxima And here I am 25000 miles later and still smiling

jjs

Had my Ram, got a divorce, wanted a 'back in the world' vehicle for nights out, etc....

but...wanted 4 doors, nice ride, decent interior space, AND A STICK!!!

For the money I couldn't pass it up...

MS 2K1 AE

I was a tried and true Honda fanatic. I have owned four Honda products in the past. In March of 2001, I started looking at buying my first brand new car. I wasn't sure what I wanted, but I knew it had to be a manual tranny (I've never owned an auto). I also wanted to move up to something with a little more power and overall size than my 92 Accord. I went to the Honda dealer and found out that the V6 Accords didn't have 5 speeds available. The four was just too underpowered. So I head over to the Acura dealer to find out that the TL/CL and Type S models weren't available in manual trannies either. Now it's research time. I knew I wanted to stay with a Japanese product, so I narrowed the field down to the Max and the WRX. The WRX was too small. So I dove deeper into the Max and found out it was the best bang for the buck period. Large enough for four, lots of power, looks great and I got $3K below sticker on my AE.

2k2max

255 horses! enough said

Bobs_2k2SE_6spd

Parents drove Datsun 810s before them became Nissan Maxima's. They are on their fourth one. I loved to drive it (lots of power) and the reliability and durability were awesome.

Once I drove a 4th gen, I was hooked. Best overall bang for the buck. My experience convinced my father in law and brother in law who both bought 4th gen Maximas. My father in law is on his 2nd. The first was destroyed in an accident.

I just upgraded from my '95 GXE to the '02 SE 6spd. Still loved the 1995 but once I drove the 6pd, I had to have it.

I count 9 Maximas between my dad, my father in-law, my brother in-law, and myself.

I think Nissan owes ME MONEY!

2kSEgirl

I have $16,000 reasons to love my 2000 5 spd max with c&c, bose, 34k Miles....bought one month ago.....thought it was a fab deal and even if you don't think so...reassure me that it is anyways!!!!

maximadave

iTrader: (10)

My Dad had one, drove it, loved it and now I'm on my 2nd Maxima!!!!

NikaL

I had a 1997 Acura CL 2.2 5 speed. I wanted a 4 door under $30,000. I test drove BMW 323, Saab 9-3, Audi A4, Honda Accord and Maxima. I have to say I was very disappointed in BMW and Saab. Too small, week and OVERPRICED. Accord was ok, but they don't have them v6 with 5 speed. And Audi was too just too small and kind of out of my reach if I wanted to get all the options. When we test drove Maxima, my wife and I just looked at each other and we both new we were getting it. We went to few dealers got the best deal at a time and bought 2000 pearl white SE with black leather and all the options. I even had money left for mods.

y2KAOSMax

I had a 95 Neon. A few mods, strut bar, new pugs, pug wires, clear taillights with strobes, some others. Car was just too small, started looking for new car. Like Audi A4, but that isn't much bigger inside than my Neon was. Looked at Honda Accords, not enough power.. Looked at 300M, nice but can't stand Cryslers (depreciate to fast). Them Max was the best bang for the buck and is roomier than a mug. Also has high resale value, and can easily go for 200,000 miles. Very reliable car, so the choice was easy... Only regret is I got an Auto instead of a 5-spd...

woreyah

My story is not so pleasant. When Nissan introduced the 2001 Altima with a 3.5 V6, 5sp I was an instant fan. The price was unbeatable(and in my budget). I told everyone I knew that was in the market to consider the Altima as I had planned in the future to purchase one. My father ended up purchasing the 2.5SL, very nice for a 4 banger.
<fast forwarding>
After driving the 5sp Altima for a week I wasn't comfortable with the leg room(the Maxima has more) and I wanted an automatic(yeah, yeah, I'm a wuss). You see, I'm 6'3, 245lbs, I need to cruise, not be crunched up fooling with a manual transmission. I want to step on the gas an go.
<fast forwarding>
Because I signed some papers(like a dummy) they tried to stick me with the Altima. I fought(it was an ugly battle) and finally ended up with an 2002 SE Maxima on the same loan terms+ 1000 rebate. I already knew the specs so the switching to the Maxima was perfect for me. I traded in my '94 Taurus SHO so I'm used to big performance sedans(with the SHO I'm also used to constant maintenance). The Maxima is one of the best under 30K.

slick

well, for me, it was about 2 1/2 years ago. a friend of mine in high school had a 1995 gxe(c&c and sunroof). i didn't think too much of the car at first, but i did think that it was a good car(i didn't know much about cars then).
one day, my friend(max owner), and 2 other friends were going to a buffet, my friend with the max picked all of us up. on the way there, my friend(max owner), got into an argument with one of our other friends(they always do this, its quite funny), well without even knowing it, my friend hit 100mph on the freeway. when he figured out he was going so fast, we all look at each other with that, "WTF!" face, we thought we were going 50mph, the car was so smooth at 100mph, thats when i started to do some research on the maxima, then i found this site, and then i got my dad to buy a maxima.

NYC2SD

I worked for Enterprise Rent a Car. We rented them and knew they were the best bang for the buck and reliable at that. So here I am.

alembicf1x

it was one of those damn car mags, Car & Driver. They had a hard-on for the Sentra SE-R for four years in a row, had it on their 10-best list every year it was in production. So I went out and got it in 94 - 90,000 miles later still runs strong. Eight years later - got a family now so I wanted a reliable 4-door sedan with a stick that hauled *** for under $30K. Test drove the Maxima, and I was sold! After adding a couple of aftermarket suspension parts (the only glaring weakness in an otherwise great car) I'm totally happy.

alembicf1x

Sounds like a good deal to me - considering I paid almost twice that for a car only two years newer!

Damn Maxima resale!

Hobert

When I was in College and working for a Stereo Installation Supply store (warehouse), I once had to run an errand for one of the sales guys working there. He tossed me the keys to his new Max, a 4th Gen. I loved it. So now graduated from College for almost 2 years, I shopped for cars and eventually narrowed it down to the Max.(Took 2 years, cause I wanted to buy a house before the new car) Now that I own one I love it even more. I will prolly be a die hard Nissan fan for life. Unless I start making serious cash and feel the urge to get a 911 GT2.

F23A4

I became a Nissan fan simply because they offer the best cars for the money. Before I got my Y2K Quest SE, I really wanted a Toyota Sienna XLE (WAY too expensive) with my second choice being the Honda Odyssey (minimal options and being sold well above sticker price due to demand.) I defaulted to the Quest because it offered options not available on other minivans at that time: 16" wheels, HR rated performance tires, a large power sunroof, TV/VCP (free), sport tuned suspension and an easy to park compact size.

As for my 2K2 Max, I really preferred to get the Acura TL but was not able to get a good deal on it (again due to demand) and the Accord V6 is way too underpowered.

As much as I enjoy my Y2K Quest SE and 2K2 Max SE, I have no allegiance to Nissan. If my finances allowed for me to trade both in for an Acura MDX and TL Type S, I would do so. I'm still a Honda guy at heart.

Sopdadope

My love for Nissan goes back really far. My parents emigrated to the States in '83. They desperately needed a car and had just enough to afford a beat up Sentra. Even though it was as an old beater, my family loved the car to death. I remember a lot of fond trips throughout Vermont and New England in that car.

Second car we owned was an '83 280ZXT. It was my dad's pride and joy, but unfortunately had to be sold because we moved. Ever since then, we've had the good luck of getting our hands on some of the most memorable and beloved Nissan cars: 300ZX, Sentra SE-R, Datsun 510, Datsun ute. Four years ago, when I was still a sophomore in high-school, my Honda Accord was stolen and I needed a new car so I told myself I'd go in the opposite direction and get a car that had a V8, was big but still fast and reliable. SO I was looking at either a BMW 850 (wwaaaaaayyy too much for a high-school kid), 740il, Impala SS or a Q45. Basically the only one I could afford was the Q but I've been very happy with the car. My cousin liked it so much he ended getting an I30. In the meantime, I'm working on my Datsun 240Z with a turbo 2.8L transplant.

97ABMAX

I went to the dealership wanting a truck, I was sure I was going to get a truck, but after a few test drives the guy said why dont you try this camry. It was fully loaded and I drove it and was going to buy it but they didnt have all the paper work done on it because the guy just traded it in. So I test drove a Maxima and the rest is history, after about 30 minutes driving it I knew I was going to get it. And thats how I became a Nissan fan. Take Care

Maximam

It all started with a 1969 Datsun 510!!!!

ajahearn

iTrader: (3)

Had a 83 Firebird that while handled great, was extremely unreliable. In 89 while on a business trip, Hertz had a deal where I rented a 240SX 5 speed (first time I drove a manual or a Nissan). Drove that car so much I almost never slept. The power and handling were far better than my Pontiac.

The only downside was the interior space (even compared to my firebird). So I looked over the 89 Maxima. Looked at a Jetta but the numbers were in favor of the Maxima so I went with an SE. Never regretted the decision; one of the best cars I have ever owned.

Last year after 12+ years I decided it was time to trade up. Looked at a 330i but again the overall numbers (handling versus power, space, etc.) convinced me to get an 02. So far (4 months, 4400+ miles) I'm loving every minute of the decision.

Highlander

I used to own all Fords - vowed I'd never buy Japanese car - except I always liked the Maxima - the one Japanese car I could consider. Then my last Ford really sucked (Contour, but at least it had the V-6). I could never buy an overpriced, underpowered Camry or Accord, and there isn't anything GM or Chrylser I'd want (besides their quality is even worse than Ford) - need decent size, 4 doors WITH A 5-SPEED (why don't the American car Co's get it?).
I really wanted a BMW, but they're just so much more than I want to pay for a car (will have one someday though). So I finally checked out the Maxima, loved it, and I ditched the Ford. I've had it 6 months and I still love to get behind the wheel every day... such a fun car to drive...
By the way, it'll be a long time before I even consider buying an American car again..

scmaxima2k

iTrader: (3)

lets see about 2 years ago i was about to turn 16 and get my license. My family owns an auto parts store so ive been interested in cars all my life. I did alot of research and my parents agreed to buy me a car for my 16th birthday. They told me to research and pick one out. My budget was around 30-35 grand so i started researching. I looked at lots of cars and i didnt want anything too small, or anything too big and old manish and i wanted a new car. I had it narrowed down to 3 cars and off to the dealerships we went. The three were a 2000 BMW 323i, 2000 Camaro SS, and the 2000 Nissan Maxima. Tried the camaro, liked it alot but thought about winters and decided against it because its not a very practical car for the new england winters. BMW was nice but VERY SMALL, and NO POWER!!!! lol, 3rd was the maxima. We tested a SE model and i loved it!!! It was perfect, sporty, fast, not too small, not too big, 4 doors for all my friends, and it was the car for me. I made my decision on the max and i love the damn thing. I spend more time reading about nissans and cars than doing my hw nowadays hehe. I do however wish i got a manual but o well im saving up for another 4th gen 5 speed maxima or an 300zx TT. so anyways thats my story, hope u liked it.

Chinkzilla

When I was 16 my first car was my mom's old 89' acura legend. I beat it up, but I loved that car's handling, speed, torque, and reliability. When the new accord came out I rushed out to get one, I HATED it more and more every day. underpowered, noisy, handled like a boat. I realized that honda didn't make cars like they used to. When my accord was totaled in a characteristic failure of brakes and handling, my parents took my insurance money and bought me a maxima. WITHOUT my consent. Of course I was grateful, but kinda bummed cause I had wanted to take the money and buy a little econo-commuter, while i saved up for something with a turbo. But when I took that first drive, I knew the spirit of that first Acura legend had returned to me. From then on, I was hooked. For the money there was nothing better, we got our GLE for 22,000.

So far our family has owned 2 Maximas, and a Quest.. Later this year, my brother will probably be buying a 350Z. As long as nissan keeps up their design philosophy, I will always buy nissans.

jkratzer

I have loved the Maxima since the 4th Gen Max came out but never bought one. Last year I was determined that I was going to buy a Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Test driving the Sport Trac was not really thrilling and its quality was not impressive. Then one day I remembered the Maxima. I went and test drove a black 2K1 SE with 5-speed and fell in love. I could not stop thinking about it. Two weeks later I took delivery of my own Sterling Mist 2K1 SE 5-speed.

SterlingMist00

My close friend's father bought the first Nissan (Datsun) Maxima for his wife when it was first intoduced. My friend was allowed to use it (and the Porshce 911S that his father drove- that is another story.. ) and he would pick me up and we would cruise around in Manhattan (NYC) and upstate NY. For those of you that know NYC, we would drive thru Park Drive (Central Park) and use it as our own personal race course, late at night of course, and had some memorable races).The girls loved it too!!
The thing had a great engine, had peppy acceleration, and looked good. When it was time for me to buy my first car I did my research and found that the Nissan Maxima was the most reliable vehicle out there and a great value for the money...not to mention decent HP. So I bought my first Maxima SE in 1986- an '87 5 speed. It was sweet and bullet proof. Then I bought a '93 SE 5speed- also bulletproof...... and recently a 2K SE automagic (the wife can't drive stick... )

The bottom line was that the cars were bulletproof, and that it was, and is, a tremendous value for the money. Just go out and see how much more you have to spend to get the same HP, room, style, etc...enough said

rob van dam

iTrader: (4)

i liked the car....so i bought it a year ago....the f*u*c*k*i*n*g nissan peeps couldnt believe a 17 year old bought a 2001 AE maxima...they were trippin out...

Dario

iTrader: (1)

i was reading the TIME magazine and i flipped the page to see the most beautiful car. Went to the dealer the next day and fell in love.

by the end of the month i had my MAX

20th maxstyle

iTrader: (4)

Mother- had and 88 Max now a 94 Sentra
Father- has a 90 300zx
Aunt- 95 Sentra
Grandfather- had an 87 Sentra, 93 Sentra, 97 200sx, and now a 99 Sentra
Grandma- had 94 Sentra

ME- I currently own a 90 and 01 SE and AE Maxima.

Brother will get the 90 in 2 months

I still want a 4th gen also

big h

iTrader: (1)

Two words....TEST DRIVE !!!!(man I hope it's two words..)

ms.thicknes

it began for me when I first saw the third generation Max....I was a senior in highschool and a guy I was dating had one (the only reason he got any!!! LOL)I loved the car and continued to date him only because he had the car. I have wanted a Max since then and planned to purchase one as a present for myself when I graduated this year.

(Florida State University Alum as of 4-27-02 at 11 a.m. got my masters!!!)


Unfortunately/fortunately due to a rear end collision that killed my sentra...I gave myself the Max early. When I first saw the fifth gen...I thought I was gonna nut...everytime one passed me on the road my heart would just dang flutter. As soon as I got my insurance check I went straight to the dealer...LEFT the rental car on the damn lot (they lost it for two days and parked it with the used cars for sale!)I love my Max...cheap *** paint and all( all that horsepower makes up for it though since I'd rather go fast than have paint anyways!!)

I met another Maxima yesterday a 2k1!!! he saw my stickers and we got to talking....so he will be coming to check us out!!!

Hotnicks

My first car was a 88 Maxima.
Parents agreed to help me out if I got good grades my jr year in high school.
I loved that car! I would wash it 2-3 times a week in the summer.
From then on I've owned Maximas. Got my brothers hooked on Max's too

Chinkzilla

When all my friends said "you'll never get laid driving that family sedan" I knew I'd prove em wrong someday!!!

1BADMAX

Well it all started in 1991, I was 16 and had started to get into cars. At the time I was driving my Dad's 85 Toyota Supra. I loved that car so much, it was fast, looked good and was reliable. When I was able to start buying cars myself I wanted something that had the power of the Supra along with the reliability. I settled down with a Civic which had the reliability, but not the performance. I later bought a 92 Ford SHO and it was just oppisite, it had all the power and more, but no reliability. Now I'd been a fan of the Maxima ever since the 3rd Gen SE's came out. My Dad owned a 92 Nissan Quest which had the Maxima engine in it and it was reliable as hell even with my Dad driving the **** out of it. Years later and many cars later I walked into the local Nissan dealership to take a test drive in a 5th Gen. Maxima. I felt like I was 16 again, this car had it all. Looks, power and reliability. I was ready to buy. So after the test drive the salesman ask if I would like to see if I could get approved for the Maxima. I agreed although at the time I owned a Y2K VW Golf and I just knew for sure that Nissan was not about to give me enough money to trade in. To my amasement they did and the rest is history. I road out of there 2 days later with 2K1 Maxima SE and a big smile on my face.

2kseman

i was in Accord and Camry land,MonteryPark CA. didn't want to be the norm. 222hp was good then(7/00). now with the y-pipe,berk intake, upd, jet(module) and resonator removed, powerwise, i feel like...... like a 2k2! my .02

maximamaybe

I have liked maximas since the 3rd gen body style. Then when they changed to the 5th gen, I hated the tail lights and was dead set on an Acura TL Type S. Then the 2002 came out and I like the rear end alot better. Plus the 255 horses with a 6sp made me completely forget about the TL. I have not regretted my decision at all. I love my car and have had no problems.

bigbadboss101

When I was young I test drove a 87 Maxima and loved it. But at that poeple I didn't have the $$ to get one with lower mileage. My car list include: 80 Mercury Capri I6, 85 Pontiac Fiero 2m4, 89 Toyota Celica GTS, 87 Supra Turbo, 85 Corolla GTS.

Back in 99 I went and test drove the Prelude but felt it cramped. Found that the GSR needs to be revved high to go fast. The Prelude was better than the GSR IMO. Then I drove by the Nissan Dealership and impulsively leased a 99 Black SE. I got a lease on a 2002 6 speed in Nov.

Norm Peterson

I do some research and then try to answer the question "Will I still be as happy with this car when the payments are up as I am when I drive it off the lot?". It's not just the measured performance commonly reported in the magazines that matters, either. "Fun to drive" is a major consideration, and this also addresses the topics of sufficient power and handling. But I will say that magazine-tested 17 second cars with low 0.7x g skidpad don't make the cut (if I have to drive it like I hate it just to keep up with traffic it won't take long for me to just plain hate it).

Any car has to meet certain equipment specs as well, like 4-wheel disc brakes, a manual transmission, and headlights that aren't panned in the magazine reviews for poor pattern. Things like a sunroof are nice but negotiable. At least one of our cars must have 4 doors, and for more relaxed cruising on long trips, 6 or more cylinders. Toss in mid $20k's as the approximate price point this last time around (a year ago) and there just weren't very many players. Truth be told, we weren't specifically looking for an AE, it's what was available with the above specs and color combination. Our previous experience with an '87 Max (transaxle input shaft bearing failures at ~50k mile intervals) meant that the Max had to stand out a little more this time around.

BTW, it's over half paid-for, it's got ~14k on the clock and we're still happy with it.

Norm

Creature

My first car in high-school was a beat-to-hell hand-me-down Datsun 710 Hardtop with an L20B engine. As much abuse as it had taken, the thing never broke down despite 3 more years of abuse from me. It was light and quick and different from what everyone else was driving.

After that I had a Chevy Chevette and VW Golf, and both were nightmares. My next car after the Golf was a new '92 Sentra, and it was great. I knew I was hooked on Japanese cars now. Haven't even be able to force myself to like VW's since my bad experiences with the Golf. My dad had ab '86 Accord hatchback that ran forever too, but in '94 I bought an Altima and by then I was hooked on Nissan. I bought a new Camry in '99 when our '96 Maxima went off lease, and within 10 months I traded the Camry on a '00 Maxima. The last few months I was considering straying again, either to a new MINI or a Mazda 6 or RX-8. I liked the 350Z but didn't want a two-seater. Then as soon as the G35 Coupe debuted my mind was made up, and that will be my next car, so I'm still sticking with the Nissan family.

bert

I fell in love with the 190HP 3rd Gen. I had to have one.